Remembering a pet on their birthday or the day they died

Ideas for marking a pet's birthday, gotcha day or the anniversary of their death, gently and in your own way.

Some days on the calendar never stop being theirs: their birthday, the day they came home, and the day they left. These days can bring the grief back, but they can also become days of warm remembering.

If you don't know their birthday

Many rescued pets have no known birthday. The day they came home, often called a "gotcha day", is a perfect day to celebrate instead.

Small ways to mark the day

• Light a candle at a time that meant something, like your morning walk.
• Cook or buy the treat they loved and give it to a friend's pet or a shelter.
• Look through their photos and share one with the people who knew them.
• Write them a short letter about the past year.
• Donate to a rescue in their name.

Let others remember with you

It helps to know you are not the only one who remembers. On Light a Paw you can add your pet's birthday and the day they left, and the memorial hall will remember those days with you every year. Friends who visit on those days see that it is a special day for them.